One year ago today two La Cueva cheerleaders got into a terrible car crash. Both suffered serious brain injuries and their recoveries have been slow but we are told tonight the teens are miracle stories

CUEVA CHEERLEADERS GOT INTO A TERRIBLE CAR CRASH. BOTH SUFFERED SERIOUS BRAIN INJURIES. THEIR RECOVERIES HAVE BEEN SLOW BUT WE ARE TOLD TONIGHT... THE TEENS ARE MIRACLE STORIES. ACTION 7 NEWS ANCHOR ROYALE DA HAS AN EXCLUSIVE UPDATE ON JESSICA AND LILY. LILY PICKARD, SEEN HERE POSING BY THE POOL, JUST CELEBRATED HER 17TH BIRTHDAY. HERE... ALL SMILES WITH HER BROTHERS AND SISTER. BUT ONE YEAR AGO - THIS FAMILY WASN'T CELEBRATING. THEY WERE FEARING FOR LILY'S LIFE. Phillip Pickard/LILY'S FATHER: "Neither girl was expected to live through the night." LILY'S FATHER, PHILLIP, SAYS HIS FAMILY IS BLESSED. HIS DAUGHTER IS ALIVE AND SO IS HER BEST FRIEND, JESSICA SANCHEZ. THEN LA CUEVA CHEERLEADERS, CRASHED NEAR PASEO AND LOWELL. BOTH NOW HAVE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES. THEIR RECOVERIES HAVE INCLUDED SURGERIES AND PHYSICAL THERAPY. LILY, LIKELY, WON'T GO BACK TO SCHOOL BUT HER FATHER SAYS HE'S AMAZED BY HER STRENGTH. Pickard: "She's tough. She's tenacious. She's really driven to get better and that's all that matters." AS FOR JESSICA... SHE, TOO, IS MAKING REMARKABLE PROGRESS. HER MOTHER TELLS ACTION SEVEN NEWS THE HOPE IS TO GET HER BACK TO LA CUEVA, BUT THEY CAN'T SAY FOR SURE IF THAT'LL HAPPEN. JESSICA WALKS WITH A LIMP AND IS REGAINING THE USE OF HER RIGHT ARM. HER FAMILY CALLS HER REHAB "SLOW AND STEADY" FOR THEM.... THAT'S BIG PROGRESS. THE CRASH COULD'VE KILLED BOTH GIRLS. PHILLIP IS USING THIS EXPERIENCE TO HELP OTHER FAMILIES WHO HAVE A CHILD WITH A BRAIN INJURY. Pickard: "It gets better. It really does. We call it the new normal. So, there is a new normal. It's not what you had before but as life gives you challenges you smile and move on." LILY'S FAMILY HAS STARTED A NEW FOUNDATION TO HELP FAMILIES WITH